Chapter 2217: Mingxin Certifies the Intent

“At that time, the lesson I learned was even more profound: for the weak, there is no sanctuary, not an inch of pure land.” He Lingchuan chuckled softly. “When there’s nowhere left to run, there’s no need to run anymore; when there’s nowhere left to hide, there’s no need to hide anymore!”

Emperor Mu remained silent.

So far, Jiuyou had only spoken of his past helplessness. Yet, true powerhouses do not passively accept the arrangements of fate.

“Later, I traveled through Blazegold, immersing myself in the mundane world. I observed its customs and people, witnessed their suffering, and made a grand vow to stabilize the nation.” He Lingchuan turned and looked at the stream. “What’s interesting is that from the moment I made that grand vow to save Blazegold and expel the Sky Demons, from the moment I stopped caring about my own fortunes, the fear that had haunted me for years vanished completely!”

Why was it called a "grand vow" (鸿愿, with the character for wild goose) rather than a "great vow" (宏愿, with the character for magnificent)? Because back then, the wish was too ethereal and distant, like a lone wild goose, both impractical and misunderstood.

Emperor Mu was slightly moved.

Jiuyou spoke constantly of fear, yet every word conveyed fearlessness.

“I came from humble beginnings,” He Lingchuan said. “No immortal guided my path, no family worried about my future or paved the way for me, and no great power safeguarded my future.” (He Lingchuan was the son of the Prefect of Qianyuan’s border city, but to Emperor Mu, such an origin was no different from being a commoner. Furthermore, He Chunhua wouldn’t have paved the way for him, as he wasn’t supposed to live this long.) “Every step of my path, I walked myself!”

“But it is precisely because of this that I understood there was originally no path in this world. Someone always has to brave the thorns and be a pioneer for a path to be gradually forged. And only when many people walk it does that path have a chance to become a broad, well-trodden road.”

“Pioneer?” Emperor Mu mused over those two words, then asked him, “What if it doesn’t succeed?”

“Then it won’t succeed.”

Emperor Mu’s jaw tightened slightly.

“This undertaking is tremendously difficult, enough to shake heaven and earth. Who dares to be certain they will achieve unprecedented success?” He Lingchuan smiled slightly. “That’s fine. I may not be the one to complete all this, but I can be the one to carry it on, using my efforts to enable those who follow to walk further and more resolutely along this path.”

What if it doesn’t succeed? If King Yuan failed, Zhong Shengguang would take over; if Zhong Shengguang failed, He Lingchuan would take over; and if He Lingchuan also failed, someone else would take over. This is the passing of the torch. Advancing step by step on the foundations laid by predecessors, making steady progress each day, eventually, one day, perhaps this path will be fully cleared.

Emperor Mu scrutinized him.

Jiuyou was not impassioned; his gaze and tone were equally calm. Calm because of his conviction. Rather than revealing his innermost feelings, he was stating facts.

“The Great Square Flask still selects people so precisely,” Emperor Mu said with a wry smile. He was laughing at himself. For so many years, he had also been selecting people, but each time he fell short of the Great Square Flask. Strange, although the two had clearly just met, Emperor Mu found his conversation familiar and harmonious, as if he were an old friend of many years. And Jiuyou also clearly understood what he was asking, every word resonating deeply with him. It had been like this when he saw his letters, and it was like this now that he saw the man. Could this be a case of instant kinship?

“Since I took control of Blazegold, I’ve come to understand that desires are karma, bonds are karma, and responsibility is even more so karma. That’s why cultivators always try to sever worldly ties, just to avoid karma. But like Lord Xin, even if I’m entangled in karma and burdened by karmic obstacles, I embrace it gladly.” He Lingchuan clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky. “We are born into an unfeeling world, but we do not cultivate the path of heartlessness! Only through unceasing self-improvement can one stand tall and fearless.”

He said that his fearlessness led to his conviction.

“Success—” Emperor Mu took a deep breath, “need not be achieved by me?” Those words deeply moved him.

“However, I will certainly be part of its success!” He Lingchuan said earnestly. “Didn’t Lord Xin work diligently in the same way?”

He knew well what Emperor Mu had done and why, that they all, despite different paths, were striving tirelessly for a common goal. Therefore, Emperor Mu was deeply touched by his words.

The two exchanged a look and both burst into hearty laughter. He Lingchuan’s laughter was unrestrained, while Emperor Mu’s was somewhat complex. Indeed, the most resolute and fierce resistance against the Sky Demons never came from those of Spirit Mountain. Alas!

The officials below, hearing the laughter of the two Emperors, all ceased their current tasks and pricked up their ears. They desperately wanted to know what these two overlords had discussed during their meeting! But many things in this world are destined to remain a mystery, such as the contents of a meeting between heads of great nations.

Du Shan and You Huan were also conversing. At this moment, they remained impassive, only resuming their discussion after the laughter subsided.

“Good, good, good!” Emperor Mu clapped softly twice, stepped back a few paces, and with a gesture of his left hand, suddenly drew a long spear from the void, its tip glinting with a sharp, cold light.

He Lingchuan was incredibly familiar with this spear: The Thunder-Response Spear!

The soldiers below, seeing the cold glint from above, were all startled and quickly rushed forward with hurried steps.

The two Emperors waved their hands. “Step back, all of you.”

Emperor Mu gripped the spear with both hands and offered it forward. “I heard you’ve been very eager to see it?”

“Lord Xin is magnanimous,” He Lingchuan said. He likewise took it with both hands, also stepping back a few paces before steadying the spear and casually twirling it twice. Its appearance, its weight, and most importantly, its feel! That’s right, it was the Thunder-Response Spear. The moment he gripped the spear shaft, it was as if he had encountered an old friend lost for years. That cold yet intimate sensation, no replica could ever replicate.

Emperor Mu was also intently watching his expression, and seeing this, immediately said: “You’re very familiar with this spear?”

He Lingchuan’s posture and technique in holding the spear were too natural. It should be known that the Thunder-Response Spear is five inches longer than a regular spear, which alters the weapon’s center of gravity. Someone handling it for the first time would certainly find it awkward, requiring at least some time to adapt before being able to wield it like an extension of their arm. Moreover, He Lingchuan could casually swing it and evoke the sound of wind and thunder. This not only required skill but also a long-standing rapport with the weapon. It was precisely because Emperor Mu was so familiar with it that he noticed the unusual connection between He Lingchuan and the Thunder-Response Spear.

“Our first encounter, yet it feels like we’ve known each other forever,” He Lingchuan replied, his gaze never leaving the Thunder-Response Spear for a second. The last time he had personally wielded the Thunder-Response Spear was within the Coiling Dragon Illusion. At that time, he was fiercely battling the avatar of Nether Sky possessing True Person Sanshui, and General Hong had lent him this weapon to use. He had experienced the Thunder-Response Spear’s divine power and might to the fullest at that time. This was a powerful treasure that, even against a great immortal’s mystical artifact, did not yield in the slightest. After many years, he held the real artifact for the first time. So calling it a “first encounter” was not false at all.

He did not try to conceal it much, so Emperor Mu easily discerned the deep emotions in his eyes. He deliberately asked, “Do you have feelings for this spear itself, or for its former owner?”

He Lingchuan stroked the spear shaft. “Its former owner, wasn’t it the founding ancestor of Mu Nation?”

Emperor Mu smiled. “If you tell me the truth, I will give you this spear.”